Date: 4/26/24 1:09 pm From: Ursula K. Heise via groups.io <heise.ursula...> Subject: [LACoBirds] Loon Rescue Update
Hello Friends:
I'm now back home and wanted to extend a warm thank you to all of you who jumped in and helped out with very useful info this morning. Here's the story so far:
I spotted the loon just east of the Ballona Creek bike/ped bridge in Marina del Rey a little after 9 this morning, not far from a small group of surf scoters. Unlike the scoters, the loon seemed to be moving oddly, just paddling in place, sort of like a buoy. So I jogged across the bridge and climbed down to take a closer look, and saw that there was a fishing line running from the loon to the shore.
A very friendly and helpful passerby located a piece of broken glass that we could use to cut the line (the ubiquitous trash came in handy, for a change). But then I discovered to my dismay that the rest of the line ran into the loon's bill. I picked it up, wrapped it in my vest and looked in its bill, but the line ran down its throat. So I rushed it to my car, put it in a box, and sent the emergency email, then left a voicemail with IBR. Thanks so much for the quick reference to IBR from people on this list - that was a lifesaver!!
I started heading east on Culver, saw several guys doing work at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, and pulled over to see if they might have advice. They checked the bird, confirmed that the hook was deep down its gull, and a guy with the nametag Patrick said IRB would take it in (anyone know who that Patrick might be - I want to thank him?). Real luck that I'm not teaching today, so I drove down to San Pedro, and they took the loon in. Vet seemed hopeful that the hook could be removed with surgery, and also noted that one of the loon's eyes looked a bit funny, which I hadn't noticed. It's now Pacific Loon 368 down there. I'll call on Monday to see how he/she is doing.
The loon did seem pretty strong - it struggled to get out of my vest and arms in Playa del Rey and to get out of the box down in San Pedro, which I thought was a good sign: I hope that it wasn't caught on that line the whole night.
I'm sending a generous donation to IBR this weekend - so glad they were there in this situation! And I can't thank everyone on this list enough for the referral: I was about to take the loon to the Access Animal Hospital on Jefferson, where I take my pet birds, but was doubtful that they'd accept a wild bird. So your lightning-fast responses to my emergency email came in the nick of time!
